Zanu-PF SA District in turmoil

JOHANNESBURG- Zanu-PF SA District is in turmoil according to highly placed party insiders, Bulawayo24 News has learnt. It is alleged that District chairman Ndabezihle Nyoni and his brother Commissar Abedinego Nyoni have been siphoning party funds, imposing candidates in the party structures and pioneering division and infighting which has since forced out businessman Gift Kangausaru who is said to be no longer active nor releasing funds to the party.

"Nyoni brothers are causing a lot of havoc in this organisation. They have never been calling party meeting for a long time, but nothing is done to them as it is in contradictory to the party constitution. They have been personal taking party funds without submitting them to the headquarters. Last year on the run-up to the Sandton Summit Session, the national leadership released funds for logistics, but that money was siphoned by the brothers and their allies with the structures. This has been going on for sometime and an audit is needed so everything runs smoothly," said our highly placed source with District structures.

She added, "The improper administration is rife and some structures like Rossetenville and Pretoria have since all resigned. We no longer have any branches in those areas. These brothers have converted the party into their own source of income as they are benefiting heavily through vulnerable citizens," she added. However, Zanu-PF SA publicist Kennedy Mapesa Mandaza denied and rubbished allegations as a ploy to unsettle the District which is fast growing by its detractors.

" Allegations that the District is in turmoil are unfounded and I presume it is the work of our foes who would want to garner cheap mileage at the expense of the District. Our Kempton Park, Vereeniging, Pretoria and Johannesburg branches are active and participating in district activities. The District is intact and in constant touch with the HQ in Harare for updates and appraisal on current developments taking place in Zimbabwe. Allegations of imposition of candidates by Chairman Ndabezihle Nyoni are fictitious as we still have our old leadership in place and we have only co-opted some members procedurally in line with the party constitution after some cadres relocated home," he told the Zimbabwean.

In the party's annual report of 2011, District's remittance were not reflected, but Mandaza emphasises issues of maladministration in the district lacks substance.

"Branches remit the payments to the District treasurer for reconciliation and onward transmission national offices. District's remittance have been in place and cards sold have been accounted for.

What is apparent is that because of the nature of our operational terrain, the sale of cards have been slow and does not march with the numbers of members in our books. The District's remittance of 2011 were not reflected and the necessary steps to ensure that this is corrected have been put in place. As shown above no money raised from party cards could have been remitted to the national offices.

"Zanu-PF SA District never received funds for logistics during the Summit Session held in Sandton, South Africa, last year. Funds given to the District were only availed two weeks after the summit to pay transporters who had brought members to the proposed gathering which had been meant to give support to the President Robert Mugabe. The transporters were paid such monies as expected. No misappropriation of any funds was recorded either in the district or HQ," added Mandaza. Mandaza also disputed claims that businessman Gift Kangausaru has quit the organisation.

"Kangausaru is still a Zanu-PF member and has because of pressure of work indicated to the District executive that he be allowed to concentrate on his school business. This was discussed and agreed by the district and a decision to accord him the time was reached."